Yasuaki Onishi

March 14, 2017, 12:03 PM

About Artist Yasuaki Onishi

Yasuaki Onishi is a Japan-based artist, who studied Sculpture at the Kyoto City University of Arts and the University of Tsukuba, Japan. He is known for making sculptures using mixed materials, such as tree branches, urea, hot glue, and wire. His creative work is very popular in Japan and has found its place in many solo exhibitions throughout Japan along with many international platforms. In 2011, his work was also included in Ways of Worldmaking, organized at the National Museum of Art, Osaka (NMAO). Most recently, in 2012, he held his solo exhibition in the United States at The Marlin, and Regina Miller Gallery organized at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. In 2010, Yasuaki received a United States-Japan Foundation Fellowship, which included a grant from The Pollock-Krasner Foundation Inc., New York, and residency at the Vermont Studio Center.

About the Art

Vertical Volume

Expanding slowly and contracting over and over in vertical direction, several cylindrical bags sway in the space. Each one of them inflates and is randomly floating-up because of air currents emitted by small fans that are outfitted with timers. The organic motions of bag’s polyethylene sheeting impart to the people with a feeling of “seeing and attaining emptiness.” While creating this art piece, Yasuaki discovered a “Volume” that corresponded to emptiness and air. The discovery of this art has also helped Yasuaki in developing Reverse of Volume, which is considered amongst his best and significant contribution to the art.